Weft-replenishing mechanism for looms.



No. 674,|55. Patented May I4, |901. w. H. BAKER & F. E. KIP. WEFT BEPLENISHING MEGHANISM FUR LOMS,

. (Application led Apr. 23, 1900.) (N o M o d e l 7 Sheets-Sheet l.

WITNESSES: 9% .INVENTORSr 76m (9,6%) @l2/l, @/I aw, g

ATTORNEY THE aims paens tu. Hom-Lim, WASHINGTON. D. c.

No. 674.!55. Patented May I4, I90l. W. 'H. BAKER &. F. E. KIP.

WEFT BEPLENISHING NIECHNISM FOR LOUMS,

y (Application led Apr. 23. 1900.) (No Model.) 7 Sheets-Shea? 2.

` INVENTORS.-

JBY '@Jyv ATTORNEY Nu. 574,155. l u A Patented may I4', |901;

` BAKER & F. F..A KIP.

WEFT REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOB LODMS,

(Application led Apr. 23, 1900.)

7 Sheets--Sheet 3.

WITNESSES;

ATTORNEY l 1HE Nonms PETERS co.. :mam-umu.. WASHINGTON. Q c.

Nn. 674,155. Patented may I4, mol. w. H. BAKER a F. E. KIP.

WEFT HEPLENISHING MECHANlSM FOR lLIOHIS,

(Application led Apr. 23, 1900.)

, Patented May I4, |90I. w; H; BAKER &. F. E. KIP. I

WEFT REPLENISHING M-ECHANISM FR4 LOOMS,

(Application tiled Apxu 23. 1900.)

(No Modo-I.) l 7 Sheets-Sheet 5.

(d/a a 7y l l 5x? fr aa i l wnNEssEs:

yyyyy mils. msn: co. Fumo-uma. wAsmNsToy. o. c.

- Patentod May I4, |901. W. H. BAKER &. F. E. KIP. l

4 WEFT REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS,

(Application sied @1.23, 1900.) (No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 6.

i, -L ,'l E

WTNESSES: l y BXENTORS l ATTORNEY No. 674,|55. Patented May I4. |9'0l.W. H. BAKER & F. E. KIP.'

WEFT BEPLENISHING MECH'ANISM FOR LOOMS,

(Application led Apr. 23, 1900.\

(No Model.) 7 Sheets-'Sheet 7.

Eby-lz 25975 JL WITNESSES: mvEluoRs.'v

' Y ATTORNEY` Tui Nomu's crans co.. PHTo-Lwho.. wAsnmuT'ou. n4 i...

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM II. BAKER, CF CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, AND FREDERIC E. KIP,OF MONTCLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

WEFT-REPLENISHING MECHANISM FAOR LOOMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,155, dated May 14,1901- Application tiled April 23, 1900. s'erial No. 13,838. (No model.)

To al whom zt may concern:

Be it known that We, WILLIAM H. BAKER, residing at Central Falls,Providence count-y, Rhode Island, and FREDERIC E. KIP, residing atMontclair, Essex county, New Jersey, citizens of the United States, haveinvented certain newand useful Im provementsin W'eft- ReplenishingMechanism for Looms, of which the following is a speciiication.

1o This invention relates to shuttle changing or feeding mechanism forlooms, or to what are commonly called automatic weft or fillingsupplying mechanisms, wherein the shuttles are changed when the weft orfilling in the shuttle in play is substantially exhausted.

In' the present construction the full shuttles are contained insuperposed'and connected shuttle-boxes, forming a magazine or 2oshuttle-feeder which is adapted to be moved up and down in guides at oneside of the loom, so as to bring the boxes of the series successively tothe level of the raceway for picking, and this magazine is operated by acam device in the loom, the times of operation thereof being controlledby the presence or absence of weft or filling in the shuttle orweft-carrier in play.

In the accompanying drawings,which illus- 3o trate an embodiment of theinvention, Figure l is a side elevation of that part of a loom where theshuttle-magazine is situated, and Fig. 2 is a front elevation of thesame. Fig. 3 shows the parts seen in Fig. 1, but in a differentposition. Fig. t is a front View of the shuttle-box at the opposite sideof the loom from the magazine, showing the electrical connections. Fig.5` is a sectional view of one form of the shuttle and inclosedweft-holder.

4o Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. l, but illustrating the employmentof a mechanical controlling device. Fig 7 is a plan of the mechanicalfeeler device; and Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the shuttle, showingthe radially-movable indicator. Figs. 9, 10, and 11 are detail views ofthe preferred form of shuttle and weft-holder to ne used where theoperation of the weft-feeding mechanism is controlled electrically. Inthese views, Fig. 9 is 5o a longitudinal section of the shuttle, andFig. 10 is a plan, and Fig. 1l is a View, of the buttcop detached. Figs.12 and 13 are respectively views similar to Figs.- 1 and 2,-illustrating a modified form of the magazine-operating mechanism. 55

Referring primarily to the principal views illustrating a loom havingmagneto-electrical controlling devices, a is the loom-frame; b,

the breast-beam, forming a part thereof. c is the lay. d represents thelay-swords. e is 6o the swing-rail. f is the picker. g is thepicker-stick. h is the crank-shaft, from whichthe lay is vibrated, andvl is a connecting-rod between the lay and a crank in the shaft h.

In a general way these parts are all well known in looms and willrequire no further description.

Mounted in an upright gnidej, carried by the lay, is ashuttle-supplyingmagazine, (designated as a whole Aby M,) comprising a se- 7o ries ofconnected and like snperposed shuttleboxes It, either one of which maybe brought to the level of the raceway on the lay by raising or loweringthe magazine. The magazine M is supported on a stem min the form of aratchet-rack, the teeth on which correspond in number totheshuttle-boxes 7c and in distance apart to the height of one of saidboxes.

As a means for elevating the magazine at proper times to bring the nextbox k below 8o up to the racewaya lifting-pawl fn is employed. This pawlis coupled at o below to one arm of the leverp, which is fulcrumed at qon the loom-frame, and the upper operative end of the pawl is held upinto engagement with the teeth on the rack-stem m by means of a springfr. Obviously byproperly rocking said lever p the pawl n will be causedto elevate the magazine M. When the latter shall have been elevated, itwill be sup- 9o ported by a pawl s, Figs. 1 and 2, which en- -gages oneof a series of teeth or shoulders t on the end of the magazine. Theteethj are spaced the same as the teeth on the stem fm.

In order to rock the lever p at the proper time to elevate the magazine,we prefer to employ means somewhat similar to that illustrated in ourUnited States Patent No. 637,753, dated November 21, 1899. This devicecomprises a cam-shaft u in the loom, driven from the Ioo crank-shaft h,and at one-half the speed of said shaft, through gear-wheels o. On theshaft u is fixed a suitably-shaped cam w, which acts to variably depressat proper tim es an operating cam-lever 5c, fulcrumed on the loomframeand upheld by a spring y. Atits free end z this lever :c has a somewhathooked form. Normally the hooked end ,e of thelevernc plays up and downout. of contact with a hook 1pivotally mounted on the shorter arm p ofthe lever 13. On a branch of the hook 1 is an armature 2 of anelectromagnet 3, carried by the lever p, and when this magnet is excitedit attracts its armature, and thus rocks the hook 1 in a manner to swingit into the path of the hooked extremity ,e of the cam-lever, whereby onthe next depression of the lever a; the hooked extremityz thereof willengage the hook 1 and rock the lever p in a manner to elevate themagazine M. When the cam w passes, the spring i/ will elevate the leverand disengage it from the hook 1, thus allowing the leverp and pawl a todescend to their normal positions. The leverp may be drawn down by aspring 4.

The means whereby a shuttle 5, when the bobbin or weft-holder therein isnearly exhausted of weft or filling, serves to complete an electriccircuit through the magnet 3 is illustrated in Figs. 4and 5. Fig. 4showsthe shuttle-box 6 on the lay at the opposite side of the loom from themagazine M and represents it as provided with electric spring-contactterminals 7 and 7a, as illust-rated in our beforementioned patent. iVhenthe shuttle 5 enters the box 6, contactplates 8 and 8a on the side ofthe shuttle, Fig. 5, are putinto contact with the terminals 7 and 7,respectively, thereby closing the circuit 9 9 on the loom, with a part.thereof in the shuttle and seen in Fig. 5. This figure of the shuttleillustrates a construction showinghow the breaking and closing of thiscircuit is effected or may be effected by the presence or sub stantialabsence of weft or filling in the shuttle. The construction is clearlyillustrated in our aforesaid patent, but will be briefly described here.The contact-plate S is connected electrically with an inner metal pieceor ring 10in the end of the bobbin 11, which is slipped onto a spindle12, hinged in a wellknown way in the shuttle, and connected with thering 10 is a spring-contact 13, the free end of which is held out ofcontact with a metal ring or piece 14 on the bobbin by the overwrappedweft 15. The ring 14 is electrically connected by an insulated conductor16 with an outer circumferentially-grooved metal ring 17 on the bult-endof the bobbin, and when the bobbin is in place, as in Fig. 5, the groovein the ring 17 engages a metal pin or bar 18 in the shuttle, which is inelectrical connection by a suitable insulated conductor 19 with theother contact-plate 8a. When the weft or filling 15 is nearly exhausted,the contact 13 is allowed to spring outward into contact with the ring14, so as to close the circuit within the shuttle, and then when theshuttle 5 enters the box 6 the circuit will be completed through themagnet 3. Now it will be noted that this completing of the circuiithrough the magnet 3 must occur at the moment the shuttle enters the box6 and that this must take place when the lay is swung back or is at whatis called the pick ing point or position, and iu order that there may beno failure arising from an accidental breaking of the closed circuit bythe jarring of the loom the cam w should be or may be so set that whenthe shuttle enters the box G the hook e on the cam-lever@ will be justinposition to engage the hook 1 at the instant the latter is thrownoutward by the excitation of the magnet; but the cam f1.0 will be ofsuch form that it will merely cause the hooks .e and 1 to engage andhold them in engagement until the lay shall have beaten up the shot,swung back again to the picking position, and the nearlyexhausted shuttle shall have been pickedfrom the box 6 and driven through the shedinto its box in the magazine M. Then the cam w will act quickly to rockthe lever p and ythrough the pawl n lift the magazine, thus bringing afresh shuttle into play and elevating the box containing thesubstantially exhausted shuttle above the level of the raceway. Fig. 3shows in full lines the cam w in the act of lifting the magazine. Thedotted lines show the lay at the picking-point. Fig. 1 shows the normalsituation of the parts with the lay in the beat-up position. Then thebottom or last shuttle is exhausted, the operator removes the exhaustedshuttles and replaces them by full ones. This is effected by lifting outthe magazine. It may be replaced by one charged with full shuttles,which is set in the top of the guide He may then lower the magazine bypressing back the pawl n with his foot, said pawl being provided with atoe-piece n' for this purpose, and by pressing back at the same time thepawl s with one hand, while he grasps the handle 2O on the magazine withthe other hand.

Figs. 6, 7, and S illustrate a construction which is the same insubstance as that already described except that the control ismechanical instead of electrical. The me chanical device employed may besimilar to or like that illustrated and described in our pendingapplication, Serial No. 4,221, led February 6, 1900, and therefore willnot require a very minute description herein. In the loom-frame ismounted a shaft 21, extending transversely of the loom, and on the endof this shaft which is at the side where the lever p is situated thereis an arm 22, which is coupled by a rod 23 to an arm 1 on the hook 1,which corresponds substantially to the armature-carrying arin seen inFig. 1. Of course no magnet is employed in the construction we are nowdescribing. On the other end of the shaft 21, which is at the same sideof the loom with the shuttle-box G, Fig. 7, is another arm 24, which iscalled the tappet-arm, as it is adapted to be impinged IOO IIO

upon, when the lay beats up, by a tappet 25, carried by the lay, in casethe shuttle in the box 6 is substantially exhausted of weft or filling,and thus rock the shaft 2l and cause the arm 22 thereon'to act throughthe rod 23 to swing out the hook l into the path of the hook .a on thecam-lever The tappet 25 is normally held up so as to pass over the arm24 by reason of the fact that a horizontallyreciprocating feeler 26 onthe lay is passed freely into the shuttle-box and shuttle by a spring 27on a rock-shaft 28, which carries the tappet 25 and actuates the feeler26; but in the bobbin in the shuttle 5 is a radiallymovablespring-indicator 29, Fig. 8, which when the weft is substantiallyexhausted springs down into the path of the feeler and does not permitthe latter to enter so far, thus preventing the tappet 25 from risinghigh enough to clear the tappet-arm 24. This indicator is seen in Fig.8, which shows the bobbin 30 in section. The indicator 29 is hinged in aslot in the bobbin and is backed by a spring 31. It is adaptedto be heldback out of the path of the feeler by the overwrapped l weft or fillingon the bobbin. In order to withdraw the feeler from the shuttle-box atthe picking-point, so that the shuttle may enter and pass ont freely,there is a fixed dagger 32 on the loom-frame, Fig. 6, which when the layrecedes to the picking position passes through an aperturein the lay andimpinges upon an upright arm 33 on the rock-shaft 28 and rocks thelatter, so as to withdraw the feeler; but when the lay beats up thisdagger is relatively withdrawn, as will be readily understood. rlherock-shaft 28 aetuates the feeler 26 through the medium of an arm 28',which engages an aperture in the feeler.

The preferred form of shuttle where electrical control is employed isillustrated in Figs. 9, 10, and 11. In this construction thespring-contact device is carried by the spindle in the shuttle, and theweft-holder (in this case a bult-cop) has a slot, elongated depression,or recess 11a to receive said contact when the cop is slipped onto thespindle.- The spindle 12 is hinged in the shuttle and carries thespring-contact 13. This contact is connected electrically with thecontactplate 8 on tne shuttle. The weft-holder 11' has on it a metalring 14', which crosses a longitudinal slot in the holder. When theweft-holder is slipped on the spindle, the spring-contact 13' enterssaid slot under the ring 14 under the overwrapped weft on the holder,and when the spindle is snapped down in place the ring 14 is pressedinto elastic contact with a metal spring 34 on the shuttle. This spring34 is connected electrically with the other contactplate 8a on theshuttle. The electrical conductors employed may be constructed in anymanner known to electricians. When the weft becomes exhausted to asufficient extent, lthe contact 13 will spring outward and close thecircuit by coming in contact with the ring 14. This construction byremoving the spring-contact 13' from the weft-holder avoids thedifficulty which arises from the centrifugal force in winding the wefton the bobbin or cop, forcing said spring outward, so that it cannot beheld down by the weft.

As the magazine M rests in its guide byits own weight and is to belifted out for the removal of the empty shuttles and for refilling, itis not necessary that it bc actually secured to its supporting-stem m,this stem being merely for lifting it, nor is it important just wherethe teeth or shoulders f are placed, so long as they support themagazine with the respective shuttle-cells properly alined with theraceway for picking.

By weft-holder or bobbinas the terms are herein employed is meant anymeans of holding weft or filling in a shuttle or weftcarrier. The meansshown herein whereby the times of operation of the supplying orreplenishing mechanism are controlled and selected through theexhaustion of weft in the shuttle'wll prove satisfactory-g but there areother known meansforthe purpose which may be employed as well. stantialabsence and exhaustion or suhstantial exhaustion of weft or filling inthe shutt-le in play as herein expressed is meant such a degree ofexhaustion of said weft or filling as will allow theexhaustion-indicating device to perform its functions without making animperfection in the cloth.

We. have herein illustrated the shuttlefeeder as moving up to supply..It will, however, be quite obvious that it is immaterial to ourinvention whether the magazine or feeder is moved up or down to Supplythe picking-point or raceway with a shuttle containing a new supply ofweft in place of that substantially' exhausted. For example, in Figs. 12and 13 we have shown how this may be effected. In these views there aretwo spring-pawls s and s2, one above the other and adapted to engage theteeth on the stem 'm ofthe magazine M; but these pawls, which aremounted on a guide t', in'which said stem plays, are so spaced that whenthe upper one s lengages below a tooth the other will extend slightlyover and rest on the next tooth below. The part corresponding to theliftingpawl n of Fig. 1 is in this modied construction a pawl-lifter n2,having on its upper end, which plays in a groove t2 in the guide t', alifting-cam n3, adapted when the lifter is moved up and down to takesuccessively-un-V der studs o/ on the pawls and liftthem out ofengagement with the teeth on the stem m. The operation is simple. Whenthe lever p is rocked by the cam w and the cam n3 moves upward, it liftsand lets fall the inoperative lower pawl s2 and then lifts the upperoperative pawl s. The magazine then falls nearly to the extent of onetooth on the stem m until the lower pawl engages. This drop will suffice to bring the full shuttle in the cell to the picking-level. In itsdescent the cam In2 By absence or sub-- IIO irst trips the upper and nowinoperative pawl and next trips the lower and now operative pawl, so asto permit the magazine to descend a little farther and pnt the upperpawl into engagement. This last drop of the magazine need not exceedone-eighth of an inch. Indeed, it may be even less. In this constructionthe supporting-pawl and ratchet 15 will not be required.

The electrical or other controlling devices are herein shown forconvenience as situated at the shuttle-box at the side of the loomopposite to the magazine or shuttle-feeder; but this disposition is notessential to our invention.

It will be understood that this invention does not require a two-speedmovement. of the loom-that is', the normal rapid movement and arelatively slow movement during the shifting of the magazinewas in someweftsupply mechanisms, and that it is not necessary that the weft shouldabsolutely fail before a change of shuttles can be effected. Indeed, thebreakage of the weft-thread merely7 serves, as in most looms, to stopthe loom, but not to provide a new supply of weft.

Having thus described our invention, We claiml. In a loom, thecombination with the vibrating lay, guides for the magazine, carried bythe lay, the magazine, and the stem carrying the same, provided withteeth, of a leverand-pawl device for operating said magazine step bystep, mechanism operating synchronously With the lay for actuating saidleverand-pawl device at proper times, means for supporting the magazinewhen it is at rest, and automatic means, controlled by the presence orabsence of weft in the shuttle in play for setting in operation saidmagazine-operatingr mechanism.

2. In a loom, the combination With the upright guide for the magazine,the said magazine mounted slidably in said guides and consisting of aplurality of connected, superposed shuttle-boxes, and provided with aseries of ratchet-teeth t, and a rack-stem m, of the snpporting-pawl, s,the pawl device for elevating the magazine, and automatic means,controlled by the presence or absence of weft in the shuttle inplay,i`or actuating said magazine-elevating mechanism.

In a loom, the combination with a vertically-slidable magazine providedwith a ratchet, the guide in which the magazine plays, and amanually-operated pawl engaging the ratchet on the magazine, of the stemsupporting the magazine, provided With ratchet-teeth, and thelifting-pawl engaging the teeth on said stem, said lifting-pawl beingprovided with a toe-piece whereby it may be moved out of engagement whenlowering the magazine.

4t. In a loom, a shuttle having contactplates at its outer surface, ahinged spindle, and two contact-springs, electrically connected with therespective contact-plates, of a weft-holder to slip on said spindle,said holder having in it a longitudinally-extending slot adapted toreceive one of said contact-springs when the holder is slipped onto thespindle, and being provided with a metal contact-band bridging said slotand adapted to contact with both of said contact-springs When theweftholder is exhausted of weft.

5. In a loom, a shuttle having a spindle, a sp ring-contact 13 carriedthereby and in electrical contact with a contact-plate on the shuttle,and a spring 34, in combination With a weft-holder to slip on saidspindle, said weft-holder having a slot ll to receive the springcontacton the shuttle and a ring which makes contact with the spring 34, andWhich is held out of contact With said ring by the overwrapped weft.

In Witness whereof We have hereunto signed our names, this 9th day ofApril, 1900, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

VILLIAM H. BAKER. FREDERIC E. KIP.

Vitn esses:

F. D. DIMAN, PETER A. Ross.

